The presence of dopants within an insulating or semiconducting matrix can dramatically increase the electrical conductivity of the matrix. Dopants can be introduced into a matrix or moved within a matrix to dynamically alter the electrical operation of an electrical device. In some circumstances, the motion of dopants can be induced by the application of a programming electrical field across a suitable matrix. After removal of the electrical field, the location and characteristics of the dopants remain stable until the application of another programming electrical field. Typically changing dopant configurations within a matrix are exhibited as changes in the electrical resistance of the device.
Electrical devices that exhibit this “memory” of past electrical conditions through dopant based changes in electrical resistance have been called “memristors” or “memristive devices.” Memristive behavior is most strongly evident in nanometer scale devices and could potentially be used for high density data storage, circuit calibration, or to model biological processes such as nerve synapses.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.